title: Acute cocaine abuse associated with cerebral infarction.
abstract: We present the case of a 29-year-old patient who developed a cerebral infarction, without hemorrhage, after using cocaine. A computed tomography scan of the brain at the time of initial presentation was entirely normal; a repeat CT scan on the fifth hospital day showed a basal ganglion infarction. No evidence of intracranial bleeding was detected. Theories of cocaine-induced cerebral infarction, including promotion of thrombogenesis and vasospasm, are reviewed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Valley Medical Center, Fresno, California 93702.
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Seaman
mesh_terms: D001479:Basal Ganglia / Q000098:blood supply*; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003042:Cocaine; D005260:Female; D006429:Hemiplegia / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D003042:Cocaine